Coping
by NotYetLostFaith
Summary: Coping mechanisms vary from person to person. Some are more helpful than others. Some, like Ziva's, do more harm than good. Luckily, Tony's there to help.


Author's Note: I don't really know what possessed me to write this one. Sorry if the characters kind of push the boundaries of belief here but, given the nature of the story, it couldn't really be helped. Read and review please. xx

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"You have no idea DiNozzo! You were not there!" Ziva shouted loud enough to draw the attention of all the other teams on the floor.

"David!" Gibbs barked from the director's staircase. All three of his agents turned to face him. "Go home."

"But..."

"Not a debate David. Do I need to make DiNozzo drive you?" Ziva huffed as she slammed draws and crashed chairs but packed her things and stomped to the elevator. "Now, you two, get back to work." The two agents jumped to it, only glancing at the now empty desk momentarily.

"Ziva? Open up. It's me." Tony knocked several hours later. He stood beside her door for at least ten minutes before the door next to him opened.

"She _is_ in m'dear; I heard her banging around a couple of hours ago." Ziva's elderly neighbour told him. "She might have gone to sleep."

"Cheers Maggie." Tony smiled; he'd met the woman a few times now, every time in the same circumstances.

"Would you like me to call her?" Tony smiled and took his keys from his pocket.

"It's okay, I'll let myself in."

"Send her my love, won't you?" Tony nodded as Maggie returned to her apartment while he slid his 'emergencies only, DiNozzo' key into the lock.

"Zi?" He called as he walked into the narrow hall way. He slipped off his shoes and jacket before venturing in further. He made his way through the dark apartment surely. He'd been there a few times now.

He pushed gently on the closed door he knew to be her bedroom. 'If it's locked, then she's asleep and I'll leave her to it.' He thought to himself. He'd barely finished the thought before the door opened easily. He followed the only light, the thin strip below the ensuite door. 'If it's locked, I'll let her be.' He decided again. He pushed the door softly and when it put up no resistance, followed it into the small room.

"Jeeze Zi." He murmured as a thick wall of steam tried to force him backwards. Once the steam had cleared enough for him to see, Tony could just make out Ziva's silhouette behind the frosted glass of her shower door."Ziva? Listen okay, I know that you're gonna be pissed that I let myself in. I was worried…" He stopped talking when he heard her sob. "Zi?" He asked worriedly. "If I open the door are you gonna kill me?" She didn't reply so he decided to take the chance. Taking a towel from the rack and draping it over his arm, he slid the door open. The heat from the shower hit him with full force, making him start to overheat immediately, God only knew how long she'd stood under the scalding water but, judging from the shade of red her skin had turned, it'd been a while. He quickly turned the shower to cold, drenching her in cool water. She whimpered as it hit her skin painfully but he knew he had to cool her off. He waited for ten minutes, counting in his head when her whimpering tried to convince him to turn it off, before stopping the shower and wrapping the towel around her gently, carful not to irritate her red raw skin. Once he was satisfied that she was covered, he gently took her in his arms and carried her to her bed.

"We talked about this Ziva." He chastised, opening various draws in the room before he found her moisturiser. "You promised you wouldn't do this anymore, remember?" She didn't say anything. He turned to ask her again but immediately was at her side, pulling her hands away from scratching at her sore legs before she could make them bleed. "Hey, no. Do I have to tape oven mitts to your hands?" He held her slim wrists tightly while he stared at her. Ziva shook her head, barely a millimetre either way but he nodded and released her hands. "Okay." He nodded again before returning to the draw behind him.

Tony sat beside her, squeezed a generous amount of coco butter into his hand and took her hand carefully. He gently smothered her arm in the cool cream. He finished her second arm before getting more.

"Tony?" Her voice was barely audible.

"Yeah?" He asked, covering her leg.

"I…I am sorry." Tony stopped momentarily and looked up at her.

"Don't apologise." He recited. "There's no need."

"I promised though."

"Yeah, I know." He sighed. "Why do you do it?"

"What?" Tony shrugged and returned to her leg.

"Scald yourself to cope." Ziva looked down and started to play with her hands.

"It…" She sighed. "It helps." Tony looked up just as she closed her eyes. "That sounds really stupid."

"Nah, it doesn't. I get it." He switched legs. They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment. "Where'd this come from?" He asked tracing a scar just above the side of her knee.

"You play this every time."

"I know. And I know that this," he traced the thin line across her left shin, "is from a thirteen year old Ziva dropping a _very _sharp knife after Ari interrupted her. And this." He ran his fingers around the ring shape scar on her right ankle. "This is from being shot. A disarming shot apparently." He smirked at her. "But this one, I haven't asked about. So?"

"The day Tali and my Ima died, I was there, with them." Tony was beginning to regret asking. "The bomb went off and I ran to Tali, straight into a shard of wood." Tony winced. "Eli was so angry. He was shouting the whole time I was being stitched up. It was years before I realised he was probably just scared." Tony smiled at her gently.

"Turn around." Ziva did as she was asked, dropping the towel as she did. Tony started smothering her back, thankful that the redness had gone down.

Ten minutes later Tony took a deep breath. "Turn over." Ziva turned to lie on her back. Tony's hands started gliding across her stomach, chest and thighs, careful not to make her uncomfortable but still soothing her sore skin.

After another ten minutes, Tony got up and passed Ziva a pair of sweats and an oversized t-shirt.

"Here, put this on. I'm thinking loose clothing is a good idea." She smiled softly and slipped into the clothes he'd passed her.

"Tony?"

"Yeah, Zi?"

"I should not have let him get that close. You were right." He smiled slowly, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Serial rapists don't care if you're a Fed or not." He said carefully.

"I know. I am sorry." Tony shook his head.

"Really, there's no need. I'm just glad I found you quicker this time." Ziva winced as she remembered the last time Tony had saved her from her 'coping mechanism'.

"I never did apologise for that."

"Zi, you were unconscious, I didn't expect an apology."

"I woke up before you left though, I had the opportunity."

"Ziva. I had to sit in your shower, in four degree water, with you on my lap because you'd over heated. I then basically poured coco butter over you to try and soothe your poor skin." Ziva suddenly found her hands very interesting. "But I'm not looking for an apology. As much as I wish you wouldn't do it to yourself, I would gladly do that every time if I had to. Okay?" She nodded.

"I am sorry, Tony. Really I am." Tony shook his head and squeezed her hand gently.

"Get some sleep Zi. I'll call Gibbs and tell him you're okay. Nun-night sweetheart."

"Thank you Tony. Goodnight." Tony switched off her light and left the room, taking out his cell to phone Gibbs.

He'd stay the night, make her breakfast and drive her in tomorrow. She'd be fine. She always was.


End file.
